Cajun Glazed Chicken Lollipops on Sweet Potato Hay

It’s no secret that Louisiana loves to celebrate, and the holiday season is underway with office parties, neighborhood get-togethers, and family functions at full tilt. Party menus are legendary in these parts, and whether it’s a full-blown cochon de lait for the neighborhood or just a big pot of gumbo on the stovetop, delicious South Louisiana cuisine is always cause to celebrate in Acadiana. And this recipe for Cajun Glazed Chicken Lollipops is sure to be a hit at any party.

There’s a long list of Cajun and Creole appetizers–finger foods you can call them–that are perfect for passing around and munching on. Spicy chicken wings almost always make the list and are usually done in a lackluster, less than creative manner. Here’s a Cajun recipe for Cajun Glazed Chicken Lollipops that totally redefines chicken wings and elevates them to a new level.

I’ve seen the lollipop method done in a few places, and it set my creative juices into motion on how I might interpret this with a Cajun recipe spin. Creating the lollipop from a chicken drumette is the easy part. I estimate that, with a sharp paring knife, the first chicken lollipop might take you a couple of minutes to prep, and once you get the hang of it, you can pop them out in no time at all.

The Cajun cooking flair of this Cajun Glazed Chicken Lollipops recipe comes from the glazing sauce. It is an easy 4-ingredient sauce that is sure to become a favorite. Butter-based, it takes on a sweet and spicy profile with the addition of the vinegary sweet Jack Miller’s barbecue sauce, Cajun Power garlic sauce and Sriracha. The sweet counterbalances the heat and the butter elevates the level of richness. Garnish of green onion tops and crushed Louisiana pecans adds just the right Acadiana touch to make this dish soar.

Setting these Cajun Glazed Chicken Lollipops on a bed of sweet potato hay made of julienned slivers of Louisiana yams supports the Cajun recipe flavor of this dish. This is an easily scalable dish, and with just a couple of minutes to fry, the prep work is the main time expenditure. These lollipops are just as good as an appetizer at a sit-down dinner party or patio snack with an ice-cold beer. Whatever the occasion, this Cajun Glazed Chicken Lollipops recipe is a sure winner.

A big time-saver is to find the drumettes, the thick first section of a chicken wing that resembles a drumstick that are already cut and packaged together. Most supermarkets sell them separately from the wings.

Recipe by: George Graham - AcadianaTable.com

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Chicken Lollipops

2 dozen chicken drumettes

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons cayenne

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 gallon peanut oil

2 cups rice flour

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons cayenne

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

Cajun Wing Glaze

½ cup squeezable butter, such as Parkay

½ cup vinegar-based barbecue sauce, such as Jack Miller’s

3 tablespoons mild hot sauce

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

Sweet Potato Hay and Garnish

2 Louisiana sweet potatoes, peeled

1 gallon peanut oil

½ cup green onion tops, finely diced

½ cup finely chopped Louisiana pecans

Instructions

Chicken Lollipops

To create the “lollipop,” stand the drumette on its meaty end and while holding the narrow bone end at the top, use a sharp paring knife to cut the flesh away from the bone while pushing and scraping the skin and meat downward to expose the bone. With your fingers, pull the meat over the tip end of the bone and make a plump “lollipop” of chicken. Repeat with the remaining chicken. You can either leave the bone end as is, or take a pair of kitchen shears and snip the end knob of the bone off for a cleaner look.

In a large storage container with lid, add the buttermilk along with all the dry ingredients. Mix well.

Submerge the chicken lollipops in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

In a large pot, add the peanut oil and heat to 350ºF.

In a large shallow mixing bowl, mix the flour with all dry ingredients and blend.

In a colander placed over the sink, pour the chicken pieces and buttermilk marinade. Strain the marinade from the chicken and move the still-soaked chicken pieces to a platter. Add the chicken pieces to the flour mixture and coat. Move the floured chicken to a platter.

Working in batches, drop the chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined platter to drain. Finish frying all the chicken and keep warm until serving.

Cajun Wing Glaze

In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and combine. Microwave on high for 2 minutes until the sauce is just warmed through. Keep warm for serving.

Sweet Potato Hay and Garnish

Using a mandoline, julienne the sweet potatoes to long matchstick size.

In a large pot, add the peanut oil and heat to 350ºF. Add the sweet potatoes and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

For serving, mound the sweet potato fries in a shallow serving bowl, platter or skillet. Add the fried chicken pieces to the mixing bowl containing the glaze and shake to coat the chicken. Arrange the chicken lollipops on top of the sweet potato hay and garnish with green onion tops and finely chopped pecans. Serve with ice-cold beer and plenty of napkins.

Notes

I use rice flour for extra crunchy crust, but regular all purpose flour should work as well. The spice level in this sauce is medium so feel free to regulate the heat to your palate. Other sauce variations could be fun to add, and next time I plan to do a Creole mustard version balanced with local honey.

3.2.2708

Grab a Cajun Glazed Chicken Lollipops and an ice-cold beer.

YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE: If you like this Cajun cooking story and Cajun recipe then accept my personal invitation to subscribe by entering your email at the bottom or top right of this page. It’s quick and painless. You will receive an email alert and be the first to see when new Cajun cooking stories and Cajun recipes are added. Thanks, George.

Back in the 1970’s at adult educ in OH, learned this at Chinese Cooking Class — called Flowering Apples — have not until now seen ANYthing in print. Oh the memories including “chkn wing prep” (the true Labor of Love!). Then, suggested to use the bone as “handle” or “utensil” when serving!! BTW, marinade was, o/c, Asian overnite. So wonderful to read and see in print! Appreciations and Perfect for the New Year CelebrationS!!! JOY

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Rate this recipe:

About George Graham

I’ve lived in South Louisiana for all my life. My passion is the rich culinary heritage of Cajun and Creole cooking, and in the pages of Acadiana Table, my mission is to preserve and promote our culture by bringing you the stories and recipes that make it so unique. Read More…